GhoStock 6 - staff sign up

ghostgeek · Posted: Mon Nov 12, 2007 9:47 pm Post subject: GhoStock 6 - staff sign up

GS6 is still 6 months away, but it’s prudent to start formulating a strategy now for our next conference in the spring.

I'd like to go ahead and ask those interested in helping out for GhoStock 6 to contact me via email - ghostgeek@ghosthounds.com. Please send me an email, VS a PM on the site here, and please include your current email address and mobile telephone number for our records.

I'm going to refrain from using the word "volunteer" from now on. Volunteer insinuates someone performing a task without reciprocation, which is not the case - between the free badge and shirt, that amounts to $120 worth of incentives. We also include an intangible perk - getting TOP preference on investigation locations – even in front of the paid registrants! It’s our way of saying “THANKS!”. So we hold the top X number of investigation preferences for our staff members, depending on the number of staff positions we create. Again, people helping us run the conferences are technically STAFF MEMBERS - not volunteers, and we will begin to make that distinction from here on out.

Since the conference is growing and we’re getting stretched thinner, we're going to be raising our expectations of our staff this next time around. Like they do at some of the larger conventions, we're going to require our staff to put in a minimum number of hours to earn their incentives. We’re probably looking at 10 hours of volunteer time over the course of the entire conference, plus another 2 hours (give or take) either Thursday or Sunday to help with set up and/or tear down of the con room. Staff members will be required to fill out time cards showing the hours they worked and it will need to be initialed by either myself or by Pam at the completion of their shift.

We plan to have a minimum of two staff members for each position. We will also have set work schedules for our staff members set ahead of time. We'll try to let the staff members themselves set this schedule. Unless you make prior arrangements with your staff position counterpart, AND that change is approved by either Pam or I, you will be expected to work the hours you agreed to.

I’m also considering one or possibly two general “stand bys” who will not be scheduled to work, but will be “on call” to be tapped in the event someone has to cancel last minute, or goes MIA during the conference. The stand bys will not be eligible for the incentives the working staff gets – unless of course they are tapped to fill in.

I hesitate to say what I’m about to, but it needs to be said because at some point, someone is bound to try this. Please do NOT apply for our staff simply to get preference for investigation locations or to get in for free! Star suggested that we now require all staff members to purchase their badges and shirts and that upon successful completion of their duties at the conference, we immediately refund the registration fees and purchase price of their shirt. This is to prevent people from taking advantage of the volunteer status to get in for free and/or preference on investigation locations, then going AWOL or putting forth a lackluster effort. I hate to make staff members register like everyone else, because I know that some are short of cash and volunteering makes it easier for them to attend, but I see Stars point, and it’s a sound one. We need and expect you to work if you are part of the staff, and so we will reserve the right (at our sole discretion) to deny refund of registration / t-shirt fees and/or deny anyone the right to participate on investigations if they do not show for work or in our opinion have not fulfilled their agreed upon job duties adequately. So we will implement this policy for GhoStock 6 and beyond.

Of course those that Pam and I felt went above and beyond the call of duty at prior conferences will be exempt and have their registration fees refunded immediately with a big “THANK YOU!” Smile

But again – this will be at our sole discretion who is exempt.

Now that we've scared half of you off (LOL!) if you are still reading and this sounds like a fair enough plan and one you would be interested in, please contact me by email – ghostgeek@ghosthounds.com and let me know!

Thanks! Smile

_________________
Patrick Burns
Founder and Director, Ghost Hounds

"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed." - Albert Einstein

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